Thursday, July 20, 2006

LUCKNOW: The King George's Medical University (KGMU) authorities on Tuesday evolved a new method to protect juniors from being abducted by seniors for ragging.

The authorities have decided that first year students, who are day scholars, will be asked to come to the campus dressed as commoners and bring along their uniforms.

The freshers will be asked to assemble at the Chakravarty hostel, where they will change their dresses. Thereafter, they will be brought to the campus for classes along with the first year students residing in the hostel under security cover.

KGMU has deployed private security guards to escort first year students to the campus to protect them from raggers. However, seniors went a step ahead.

Experiences of last year showed that seniors used to abduct juniors on their way to the university or after classes when the latter were leaving for home and take them to some park or a residential place outside the campus for ragging.

KGMU authorities said that it will be difficult to identify juniors dressed as commoners. The decision has been taken on the instructions of the state government to take strict anti-ragging measures. KGMU has also taken other steps to check ragging, which includes strict punishment for students found guilty.

HoD Meeting: The new KGMU vice-chancellor, Prof Hari Gautam, on Tuesday held a meeting with all the heads of the department (HoDs).

The HoDs briefed him about the activities and facilities in their respective departments. While majority of HoDs focussed on highlighting the achievements, two teachers raised the issue on lack of infrastructure and frustration among young faculty because of lack of opportunities.

Later, the V-C also gave a piece of his mind about maintenance of discipline and proper hospital services to the hospital superintendent